Russia’s state-owned RIA Novosti news agency says one of its photojournalists has died in eastern Ukraine.

Andrei Stenin went missing in early August, his whereabouts unknown.

The agency’s director-general, Dmitry Kiselyov, said in a statement on Wednesday that the remains in a charred car found outside the rebel stronghold of Donetsk have been identified as Stenin’s. Kiselyov said the car apparently burst into flames after coming under fire from Ukrainian forces.

Colleagues in Russia led a campaign for the release of the 33-year-old reporter, insisting that he was captured by the Ukrainian army. The Kiev government said it had no information about what happened to Stenin, who was embedded with the pro-Russian rebels.